Posts By: science

I’ve found that the health of my hard drive all came down to the care and attention of the device in which it was being used (i.e. laptop, desktop, external enclosure, etc.). We do this all in the name of avoiding the inevitable – data loss.

Care and maintenance also relates to the actual data stored on the drive. This is where some people think anti-malware or Antivirus software comes into play.

I do agree, I think good antivirus software can definitely help avoid your data being compromised but the idea that data can be corrupted or a hard drive rendered useless by not running anti-malware software, is just not true.

Having gone through various levels of data recovery at least 3-4 times in the past and having had antivirus software installed on my PC every time, hasn’t saved me from corrupted data or a failed hard drive.
I have had basic file recovery performed from my local PC repair shop which was a result of minor file level corruption. I was told this was most likely caused by an electrical issue or power anomaly.
I have also had a higher level failure that required the services of an off-site data recovery lab to rectify. I was told this failure could have been caused from an aging hard drive/malfunctioning component.

In both of these instances the idea of either issue being caused by a virus is just not plausible.

Good device/ Western Digital hard drive maintenance starts with choosing the right device and planning on long term maintenance. Realizing when its time to circulate your data to a newer device helps as well.

Anti-malware is a matter of good security not good maintenance. Remember those who wish to do you harm generally don’t have the ability to render your hard drive useless, nor do they want to – and those who may have the ability to effect your data wont ruin or cause corruption as it serves no practical purpose.

Most of the malware out there today, whether it be a virus or spyware is intended to run unseen. Causing corruption to your data doesn’t do the bad guys any favors. Its not a money maker.

Be responsible regarding maintenance and preventative measure’s! When it comes to avoiding drive failure, know where to focus your efforts.

Backing up your data to Google has never been easier. Whether you’re a family, a business or just someone like me who doesn’t want to risk losing their data, cloud backup services are more affordable and easier than ever to install and maintain yourself.

– Families or single users can go just about anywhere and download a fully functioning trial to get themselves up and running. A good backup services provider will usually have a real-time onsite support structure to help with that initial setup and are never far away.
– Businesses with servers and virtual environments will want to do their homework as to best plan for them. Usually the backup services provider will work with the business and assess their needs quickly and recommend a product and plan that works best for them, both on the cost and support sides. Implementation is also key focus of any backup services provider as the move into online backup should be seamless and not be the cause of any downtime.
– Single users on the move are the most versatile and usually only backup from one workstation or computer. Straight forward trials are found on just about any backup companies website and can be installed in minutes. Ease of setup and management are key for someone on the move.

At the end of the day most backup companies will give you a no-charge, no limit, fully functioning data backup service for at least a month in order to let you work with their service to see if it’s a fit for you. Depending if you’re an individual, family, or business, you’ll be able to work with the product first hand and pick the best plan that meets your needs.
Whether you have many computers/people in your family or business that need to back up a small amount of data, Or you have few users but a lot of data, the company you choose should be able to tailor their service to fit your needs at an affordable monthly, quarterly, or yearly cost.

Having a small business, backing up and transporting my data on an external hard drive for the past 5 years seemed to be the best way to mange things. I always knew that one day the inevitable would happen.
Well, it did and my hard drive crashed. My world came to a screeching halt.

Since then I have been relying on online or cloud backup to store and access my data. I can back up my data on the fly wherever I am. What’s better, I can also restore that data without carrying a copy with like I used to do.

Backing up data is easy to set up and use and once you’re up and running it is the most secure way to save and store your data.
The monthly cost has come down over the years and is well worth it when considering that I spent 1400$ to recover the data from my hard drive when it crashed.
It has also saved me time and effort as I am able to automatically backup common folders and directories which means I no longer have to hook my external hard drive and decide which data to drag over to the hard drive. I can set my backup to run hourly or daily and whatever time I choose.
Because I am working with a true Cloud backup, I can mange and edit my backups anytime. Things like retention rate which mean how long copies of my oldest data is kept on file – and other efficient built-in options such as the ability to incrementally backup files which are already backed up. This means that I don’t waste space backing up the same file but rather, only the changes.
These are only some of the best options i’ve noticed with my backup plan. There are many, many more that can be explored.

Cloud data backup is one of the best moves I have ever made – its affordable and 100% reliable.